American Patrick Dodd, his wife, Olga, and partner Vadim Gulashkov have opened the Fashion Cafe, an establishment that's doing its best to combine good looks with good, healthy food - as well as the good word, in the form of books for sale.

le eateries, and it’s one with a collection of its own. Inside the cafe stands a huge dark-wood bookshelf stocked with a sizable collection of books of various genres, including political history, travel, architectural design and youth. From Dinternal bookshop, the books are for sale as well as for perusing by cafe customers.

“That is, until someone spills coffee over one,” co-owner Patrick Dodd said only half-jokingly.

Along with wife Olga and business partner Vadim Gulashkov, Dodd opened the Fashion Cafe in September. It is designed to appeal to both the health conscious and the fashion conscious with an extensive array of fresh-fruit drinks and a colorfully stylish interior. Dodd describes it as a “sensual revolution.”

That may be overstating it, but the cafe is indeed a refreshing addition to the capital’s bar scene. The split-level interior is sleek and colorful with plenty of asymmetrical angles. The first floor is roomy and features a semi-circle bar capable of sitting eight people, as well as a row of long, red wooden tables. The low-ceilinged second floor houses a second bar and cozy seating area as well as the main dining room.

A reminder that this a cafe not for the ordinary slouch but rather for the young, stylish and healthy comes in the form of modeling photos hung in nearly every corner. Pushing the envelope of the “sensual revolution” concept that much further, the Fashion Cafe also has a model dressed in a colorful leotard sitting on a ledge overlooking the main room. She pouts and peels fruit.

Since its Sept. 22 opening, the Fashion Cafe has so far attracted a primarily wealthy clientele consisting of a healthy mix of both ex-pats and Ukrainians. They come for the style and for the healthy, tasty food, which ranges from California cuisine to Mediterranean delights. Among the exotic offerings are humus with pita bread (Hr 12.95), spinach with mushrooms and dried tomatoes (Hr 19.95) and chicken jambalaya with couscous (Hr 29.95). The salads and entrees are not only strong in the flavor department but are refreshingly lacking in any heavy dollops of mayonnaise and oil. Served in generous quantities, most meals are baked or grilled and come with fresh vegetables and homemade sauces. Vegetarian soups and choose-your-own-toppings baked potatoes are also available.

As one would suspect from what has been dubbed a juice bar, Fashion Cafe serves up an extensive selection of smoothies and fresh juices, all made with 100 percent pure fruit juice. Choices include apple, carrot, banana and orange. Fruit shake varieties include orange juice, banana-and-pina-colada, and banana-and-apricot-jam. They cost Hr 19.95 and are both refreshing and substantial. For those who prefer no-frills drinks, the cafe also serves Taller (Hr 6 per half liter), Stella Artois (Hr 10) and Pilsner (Hr 12) on tap.

As is often the case with newly opened establishments, the service at Fashion Cafe is slow at times. But the staff’s effort and attitude happily compensate for the lack of aptitude.

Dodd and company hope Fashion Cafe’s hip atmosphere and novel menu will help it become something of a Mecca for the Kyiv entertainment industry. It recently hosted a press conference for Russian rock singer Chicherina, and it will host a number of music-video launch parties, as well as monthly fashion events.

Moreover, parent company Fruktopia is also to open a nightclub called the Stoned Monkey in the near future.

Fashion Cafe

2 Taras Shevchenko.

Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m.

till last customer.

Tel: 235-4387.